Today we have the new ADATA SD700 256GB External Solid State Drive on the BCCHardware test bench. This drive is part of ADATA's rugged line of drives and uses new 3D NAND (stacked TLC flash) to help keep the costs down and the performance quite high. While there are certainly faster performing SSDs on the market, the SD700 aims to be plenty fast at up to 440MB/second read, and it shows that you can have a rugged and portable drive for a fair price. In fact, many 256GB flash drives are priced higher than this unit, and while some of them are certainly more portable, you won't get the performance or the water/dust proof IP68 capabilities of those drives.

This drive comes in a few different sizes and a couple of different colors. We have their entry-level unit with the 256GB capacity, but 512GB and 1TB version are also available. Our unit is the "not-going-to-lose-it" green, but a full black version is available if you want something a bit less loud. While an external 256GB drive may not seem like tons of storage, this drive is marketed not as a full backup device, but as a device that you can take virtually anywhere and do short term backups from your camera, music, movies and more. The 1TB version would be fantastic for a backup device for your laptop, but 256GB is a lot of picture storage for on the go.

The rated specifications provided by ADATA show the read and write speeds are pretty static across all drive capacities. So moving to other sized drives doesn't offer a performance gain, just a storage gain. In the testing section we'll compare this drive against a few other external drives we've looked at in the past as it is purely an external drive and to compare it with internal high-performance SSDs would not be fair as this drive is not built for that purpose. Either way, we'll throw in an internal drive into the mix for minor comparison.

While we haven't pried open this drive to see what is inside, we do know that it uses 384Gb 3D TLC NAND flash chips manufactured by IMFT. ADATA doesn't reveal what controller they use inside this drive, but we can assume from the performance that they are using the Silicon Motion SM2258 chip and a USB to SATA bridge.

One other thing that ADATA has going for it with the SD700 is the IP68 rating and MIL-STD-810G516.6 shockproof rating. This is all fancy speak that means the drive is dust-proof against sand and dust particles as small as 150 micrometers. In terms of waterproof rating, IP68 denotes that the drive could survive immersion for 60 minutes at 1.5 meters deep. Both scenarios of dust and liquid of course depend on the port cover being securely in place. As far as the MIL-STD-810G516.6 shockproof rating, that simply means the drive will survive a four foot drop onto 2-inch thick plywood installed over a concrete floor. Honestly, that's not very impressive when it comes right down to it. Repeated abuse will eventually cause all drives to fail, but the rating on this drive indicates that it will take a bit more of a beating than you standard SSD mounted in an external enclosure.

Highlights and Specifications:

The following information has been copied from ADATA's product page for the SD700. For all the updated features and latest downloads, please check out their site.

Goodbye slow, welcome fast
Times are changing and now external durable storage is moving to SSD. Say hello to USB 3.1 Gen 1 and high-grade 3D TLC NAND Flash with speed-enhancing algorithms and a DRAM cache, delivering performance multiple times higher than mechanical hard drives. The SD700 reaches 440MB/s read and write, compared to max 100MB/s on an HDD. That means even the biggest files, like 4K movies, transfer much faster. Even better, the SD700 is wrapped in a protective shell that enables it to go with you everywhere, long term.

Quality 3D NAND Flash
The SD700 uses new 3D NAND, or stacked TLC Flash. The technology offers higher density, increased reliability, and better power efficiency compared to previous 2D NAND SSDs. You get a better product at a better value.

IP68 dust/water proof plus military-grade shockproof
It’s time for SSDs to go fully durable. The SD700 passes IEC IP68 specs, ensuring complete dust-tight protection and survivability in up to 1.5m of water for 60 minutes. We also tested it to military-grade MIL-STD-810G516.6 shockproof requirements. This is portable data peace of mind. Falls, drops, dips in water, dusty environments, and deserts: the SD700 takes it all and keeps going.*Dust and water proof capabilities apply when USB port cover is firmly closed and secured in place.

Light and easy to carry
At just 100g, the SD700 differs greatly from the external durable storage you may be used to. This one slips comfortably into a jacket pocket, and definitely goes well with a bag without adding to your burdens. Always with you and ready for work, the SD700 delivers portable strength.

Cross-platform compatibility and sharing
The SD700 works with Windows, Mac OS, and Android so you can effortlessly share documents, photos, videos, and presentations. In addition to being fast and strong, the SD700 overcomes digital barriers as multi-platform storage for more of your devices – desktop to smartphone.

Many advantages combined
Unlike mechanical drives, solid state drives have no moving parts. They’re completely silent, much more durable, don’t build up heat, and of course consume far less power. The SD700 embodies all this with advanced 3D NAND SSD technology, and maintains all of these advantages as an external drive thanks to a custom durable enclosure.